Diagnostic and Analytical Survey of the Palazzo Medici
On February 28, 2007, Calit2 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Province of Florence to embark on a research project that is expected to last up to three years. Province President Matteo Renzi, who attended the CISA3 launch ceremony in San Diego, will provide full access to the Palazzo Medici – the historic home of the Medici family in Florence, and widely considered to be one of the most important structures of the Renaissance. Now housing the administrative offices of the province, the Palazzo Medici is known to have been modified many times in the past 500 years, and one goal of the project is to use multispectral imaging and analytical diagnostics to ascertain the various phases of renovations. Given the edifice’s importance in the history of Florence and Italy, it is also expected that by scanning the entire building with modern imaging techniques, murals and frescoes are likely to be located, and artifacts unearthed. CISA3 will also develop novel methods for displaying the history of the building and the results of the analytical phase of the project, thereby enhancing the Palazzo Medici’s reputation as an important structure of the Renaissance and Italy’s cultural heritage.